HNMS dean slides into home

They say that you can't go home again. The assumption is that it's difficult to return to your childhood home, having left and traveled the world and grown into a full-fledged adult.

Sometimes, though, 'they' are wrong.

Pete Della Ratta is a case in point. Della Ratta grew up in Gulf Breeze, went to school in Santa Rosa County and graduated from Gulf Breeze High School in 1992.

He became Dean of Students at Holley Navarre Middle School in the middle of the 2010-2011 school year, but it's the in between years that shaped him and made him into an effective teacher, administrator, and community volunteer.

For the complete story, see the Oct. 13 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.